The present invention relates to a new reconstituted collagen template and a process of the preparation thereof. The present invention also relates to use of the new reconstituted collagen template for activating regeneration of the articular tissues and thereby curing articular destruction.
Arthropathy is one of the persistent diseases found in throughout the history of mankind. Among other articular diseases, the major types of human non-congenital arthropathy are etiologically attributed to inflammatory/degenerative conditions. Generally the types of the inflammatory articulation diseases, i.e., arthritis, are characterized in the ongoing of the articular inflammation due to the long-term and/or intolerant mechanical stresses, and/or the attack of the immune system. The former condition, e.g., the degenerative arthritis, will always lead to the destruction of the articular cartilage or the meniscus disc and the latter condition, e.g., the rheumatoid arthritis, will lead to the invasive growth of the pannus, which is formed by the continuous proliferation of the synovial cells in cases of the immunosuppression, into zones of articular chondrocytes. The severe damage of the articulation has been found in each of the above conditions.
The articular chondrocytes are embraced and offered by the extracellular matrix. Once the metabolic support for the chondrocytes from the extracellular matrix has become deficient or absent due to the physical or physiological damages of the articulation, the chondrocytes die rapidly in an extent, i.e., atrophy of the articular cartilage, and the infiltration of lymphocytes is observed in the articular tissues. As used herein, the term "articular tissues" means the tissues including articular disc, cartilage and synovial lining. Furthermore, the fibroblasts are then activated to cause the fibrosis of the articulation if the chondrocytes cannot be activated to proliferate so as to reconstitute the cartilage in a period. This will cause irreversible destruction, followed by the dysfunction of the stressed articulation.
Since the irreversible destruction of the articular tissues and the failure to regenerate the chondrocytes are commonly observed in clinics, the attempts to replace the dysfunctional articulation with the artificial metal articulation have been performed in recent years. Although a metal articulation may actually substitute for part of the functions of a natural articulation; however, it is believed that the metal articulation may result in some unavoidably deleterious effects, e.g., the subsequent occurrence of the alkylosis, the unstable conjugation of the metal articulation by mechanical stresses as investigated by, e.g., Bruijn et. al. J. Bone and Joint Surg. 77(5): 760-766 (1994), or the synovitis as a result of the polymers, e.g., silicon gel adhered to the metal surfaces of artificial epiphyses. Therefore, a metal articulation sufficient to fully substitute for a destroyed natural articulation has not been developed in the art.
Therefore, there is still a need to find a therapeutic strategy for curing the arthropathy.
Nature collagen is one of the major types of proteins in a mammal and has been employed in preparing artificial skin, drug delivery, cosmetics, nutrients supply and so on. Grillo et. al. J. Surg. Res., 2, 69 (1962)! showed that the cross-linking of the collagen by formaldehyde may decrease the rate of biodegradation. Abbenhaus et. al., Surg. Foru. 16, 477 (1965) disclosed the use of the collagen as the temporary material posed on a relatively large area of the wound. Yannas et. al. J. Phy. Chem., 68, 3880 (1964) disclosed that the gelatin rubber is able to undergo mechanical stresses. However, due to the distinct types and contents among varied tissues, collagen has not been successfully applied to the repair of the articulation.
The objective of the present invention is to provide a new reconstituted collagen template for use in facilitating the regeneration of the chondrocytes and the extracellular matrix of a stressed articulation and curing the articular destruction. The implantation of the reconstituted collagen template according to the present invention is effective in preventing the irreversible destruction of the articulation and the inconvenience of a metal articulation.